Sam Méndez on Washington’s pot industry, why outdoor grows make sense and how marijuana is becoming like wine

A report from ArcView in California estimates that the national market will grow from $7.1 billion this year to $22.8 billion in 2020 – three times as big in the course of four years. A number of people I’ve spoken to, policymakers as well, believe the horse is out of the barn — that this is not going to be shut down by the federal government.

Licensing Scheme for Medical Marijuana Market May Be a Boon for the Black Market in Washington State

Critics contend current cap on new cannabis stores is too low and could force many patients to turn to back-alley providers.

The state of Washington’s medical-marijuana industry has been in disarray since the passage of legislation last spring that calls for pushing businesses in that now-unregulated “grey market” into the state’s regulated recreational-cannabis market.